Kerala HC warns against releasing of confession statement to media

KOCHI: Kerala High Court deprecates the practice of releasing the confession statement of an accused person by police to media during the investigation. The Court has also barred the print and electronic media from discussing the confession statement and other materials collected during the investigation.

The bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan stated in an order, "If the confession statement and other materials collected during the investigation are discussed in media and divulged to the general public, the situation will be perilous. The general public may not know that a confession statement given by an accused in police custody is not admissible. A court of law can accept only legal evidence. If a court of law decides a case based on legal evidence, the general public may suspect even the judiciary if the present situation of divulging confession statement and other materials collected during investigation is leaked like this."

"My respectful request to the reporters of print and visual media and, of course, to the anchors of twenty-four hours news channel is to read section 24 of the Evidence Act and other similar sections before framing headlines in the newspapers and before giving breaking news in NewsChannel based on confession statement of accused who are in police custody," the order read.

If there is any violation of the same stringent action will be taken. The investigating officers also should be careful at least in the future. If there is any violation of the above directions by any police officers, disciplinary action should be taken, Justice PV Kunhikrishnan stated.